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W. HORROGKS. TYPE WRITER CABINET.

No. 563,663. Patented July 7, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT 'EErcE.

WILLIAM HORROGKS, OF HERKIMER, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOR' ROCKSDESK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TYPE-WRlTER CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,663, dated July '7,1896.

A plic i n filed April 17, 1896. Serial No. 587.969. (N0 modem To allwhom, it ntay concern/.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HORROOKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Herkiiner, in the county of I-Ierkimer and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-\VriterCabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cabinets for typewriters and similar machines;and the invention consists in a novel arrangement of levers and devicesfor raising andlowering the shelf which supports the machine, and bywhich also the shelf is locked in position when raised, all ashereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section showing the position of theparts when the cabinet is closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing theposition of the parts when the cabinet is open and the shelf raised tobring the machine into position for use. Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofapart detached. Figs.

. 4 and 5 are views showing modifications of the same, and Fig. 6 is aview of a part detached and enlarged to more fully illustrate the same.

This invention belongs to that class of cabinets in which the pivotedshelf that supports the machine is so arranged that its front edge isnot projected beyond the front of the cabinet when raised, and in whichthe machine or a separate base-board for the same is arranged upon theshelf in such manner that the machine can be drawn forward when wantedfor use, and be shoved back when not in use, as described in my patentof August 15, 1893, No. 503,418.

The object of my present invention is to simplify the construction ofthe operating mechanism by which the machine-supporting shelf is raisedand lowered, and to so construct and arrange the operating-lever as todispense with the additional links heretofore used, and make said leveralso operate to lock or hold the shelf in position when raised, therebydispensing with the stops ordinarily used for that purpose, and at thesame time insure a smooth, noiseless, and easy move ment of the parts.To accomplish these results I construct the apparatus as follows:

T he body A of the cabinet I make in the usual form, an d usually with2. tier of drawers at one or both sides, and with a strip B" across thetop at the back, as shown, to unite the sides and give it the requisitestrength and rigidity. I also provide a lid or top B of the proper widthto fill the space from the frontedge of the strip B to the front of thebody A, and which, when the cabinet is closed, serves as a writing tableor desk. I then provide a shelf 0 of the proper size, and pivot it tothe side walls of the body A by means of brackets a, which. projectabove the shelf, and turn on pivots fastened to the 'side walls, so thatas the shelf is raised its front edge will swing inward instead ofoutward, as it would if the brackets were made to project below theshelf. 1 then provide a lever D, which is bent, as shown, more or less,as may be required, and mount it so as to turn on a fixed pivot P,secured to the wall of the case or cabinet, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,the end of its longer arm being pivoted to a bracket or car (Z, securedto the lid B near its rear edge, as shown. The end of the shorter arm ofthis lever D is provided with a pin or journal n, on which is secured anantifric- Lion-roller 0, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and enlarged in Fig.6.

To the under side of the shelf C, l secure a metal plate Z, made asshown in Fig. 3, ithaving a raceway in which the roller 0 rests, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and in which it is free to move to and fro asthe lever D is moved, this raceway being closed at one end to limit themovement of the roller and lever.

I provide a link or bar E and pivot one of its ends to a bracket or earsecured to the under side of lid B near its front edge, with itsopposite end journaled on a fixed pivot 7 secured to the wall of thecase, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this link being of the proper length toswing from one to the other side and assume a horizontal position whenthe lid is opened and closed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Instead of making the plate I in the form shown in Fig. 3, it may bemade as shown at Z, Fig. 4, the only difference being that in the lattercase the roller .0 will bear against the under side of the shelf direct,instead of against a metallic surface, as in the other case; though, ifdesired or found necessary, a thin strip of metal may be secured to theunder side of the shelf for the roller to bear upon.

In Fig. 5, I have shown the bracket a and the raceway for the roller allmade integral, of asingle piece of metal, and which may readily be done,either by casting it complete, or, better still, by forming it ofwrought metal, which can readily be stamped or cut and bent to theproper shape by suitable machinery. In this case I have also shown theraceway as being made in the form of a slot, cut or formed in the metal,though, if preferred, by making that portion of the plate of the properwidth, its lower edge can be stamped or bent to form a groove of theproper size to receive the roller 0, these various modifications beingmatters of choice for the manufacturer, as it is obvious that either maybe used at will and made to operate the same. So, too, while I haveshown the roller, and which I prefer to use, it is obvious that it maybe dispensed with, and. the pin .or journal on which the roller ismounted beitself inserted in the raceway, which would necessarily bemade correspondingly narrower, the result being the same so far as themovements are concerned; but the roller will insure a smoother andeasier movement, and may therefore be generally preferred.

It is obvious that the raceway may be formed by cutting a groove in theends of the shelf itself, in which case it should be reinforced orprotected by a thin strip of metal having a slot in it correspondingwith the groove, screwed fast to the ends of the shaft.

If desired, in order to prevent noise the roller may be made of rubber,or be covered with rubber, leather,or anysimilar substance, thoughordinarily this will not be necessary.

\Vith the parts thus constructed and arranged it will readily be seenthat by taking hold of the front edge of the lid and raising it the lidwill be caused to swing over backward from the position shown in Fig. lto the position shown in Fig. 2, and that in so doing it will cause thelever D to turn on its pivot P,

thereby raising the shelf 0 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the freeend of the lever,

with its pin or roller, moving backward in the raceway or slot. It willalso be seen that when the shelf is thus raised the shorter arm of leverD is made to assume a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, and thusforms a rigid brace between the pivot P and the shelf, thereby lockin gand holding the shelf securely in position and dispensing with the useof any other stops for that purpose. In practice I find that it is notnecessary that the short arm of the lever should be made to assume anabsolutely perpendicular position, as the weight of thelid operatingthrough the longer arm is sufficient to hold it secure even when theshort arm is somewhat inclined toward the front, and more especially sowhere, as in this case, the slidingbase is used, which brings the weightof the machine well forward over the pivot By this arrangement Idispense with all weights, pulleys, and straps to counterbalance theshelf and machine, the weight of the lid itself, with its leverage,being sufficient for all purposes.

It is obvious that the link E may be dispensed with, as bypushing thelid backward it will depress the long arm of the lever and raise theshelf; but I prefer to use it, as the movement of the lid is therebycontrolled and the operation can be more readily performed by the use ofone hand than it can be without the link.

It will of course be understood that the lever and link, raceway androller herein described are duplicated, a set being arranged at oppositesides, as is customary in these type-writer cabinets.

Having thus fully described my invention. what I claim isl. Thecombination in a type-writer cabinet of a shelf pivoted at or near itsfront edge so as not to project beyond the front of the ca binet whenraised, and a lever mounted 011 a fixed pivot with its longer armpivoted to the lid B near its rear edge and having its shorter armprovided with a pin or stud adapted to slide freely to and fro in araceway or slot attachedto the shelf, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination of the shelf 0 pivoted at or near its front edge tothe body of the cabinet as shown, the lid 13 attached to the cabinet bythe swinging link E, and the lever D having its longer arm pivoted tothe lid B. and its shorter arm provided with a pin or stud arranged toslide freely to and fro in a raceway or slot attached to the shelf,where by said lever is made to raise the shelf without moving itedgewise, substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with a pivoted or swinging shelf, the operating-leverD arranged to turn on a fixed pivot and having its shorter arm arrangedto assume an upright position under the shelf when the latter is raised,and thereby lock or hold the shelf in position. as set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

\VILLIAH I-IORROCKS.

\Vitnesses CHAS. P. AVERY, A. H. KNIGHT.

